Can't get cooler than a Kwik Fit fitter

I have know for years that "life's a gas".
I have also know that after having paid AR
to re-gas my air-con I was not looking forward
to parting with a similar amount again.
However, with this year's "global warming week"
upon us I was sweltering in the 28deg heat.

Kwik Fit offered to re-gas my car and improve my
air-con by at least 10% or my money back.
http://www.kwik-fit.com/about-air-conditioning.asp

I took about an hour, but the seats were OK, the coffee
machine was loaded and the reception was clean and
there were current car mags too. That is a Big improvement
over my local AR. Kwik Fit had a fitter measure my air-con
all round, then test the system, then worked their magic on it.

Bottom line 45 quid for a massive 10 deg C improvement.
I arrived with a system that struggled to keep the cabin at 24C
and left chillin' at 14C.

Wow. Is that cool or what? Highly recommended.

Pete
--
>
156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso

Pete wrote:
> I have know for years that "life's a gas".
> I have also know that after having paid AR
> to re-gas my air-con I was not looking forward
> to parting with a similar amount again.
> However, with this year's "global warming week"
> upon us I was sweltering in the 28deg heat.
>
> Kwik Fit offered to re-gas my car and improve my
> air-con by at least 10% or my money back.
> http://www.kwik-fit.com/about-air-conditioning.asp
>
> I took about an hour, but the seats were OK, the coffee
> machine was loaded and the reception was clean and
> there were current car mags too. That is a Big improvement
> over my local AR. Kwik Fit had a fitter measure my air-con
> all round, then test the system, then worked their magic on it.
>
> Bottom line 45 quid for a massive 10 deg C improvement.
> I arrived with a system that struggled to keep the cabin at 24C
> and left chillin' at 14C.
>
> Wow. Is that cool or what? Highly recommended.

Tempting, tempting.


--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 145 2.0 Cloverleaf 156 V6 2.5 S2
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

I did the same. At 45UKP compared to at least twice that anywhere else
near me, I decided to break a promise to myself (not to ever use
QuikFit again) and try it. I knew my A/C would be well down as it's
been about 2.5 years since its last top up (after a burst pipe).

Result..no problem, it worked when it went in and worked when it came
out. Even so, I've not worked up the courage to use any of QuikFits
other services! I'll never forgive them for putting a big bulge in the
driver's foot well with a big hammer to get one of their crappy
exhausts to fit a Vauxhall I had 20 years ago!!

I also got a useless 20% voucher off my next A/C recharge before
December 31st! The number of people who think car A/Cs run forever and
don't need gassing is quite amazing. You don't need it in Scotland, is
another excuse. While the single channel 156 A/C isn't (and never was)
particularly good, I still like mine to work - and it still has the
best A/C controls ever in a car.

--
Z
Scotland
Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather
'Oil' be seeing you..
(Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!)

"Zathras" > wrote in message
...
>I did the same. At 45UKP compared to at least twice that anywhere else
> near me, I decided to break a promise to myself (not to ever use
> QuikFit again) and try it. I knew my A/C would be well down as it's
> been about 2.5 years since its last top up (after a burst pipe).
>
> Result..no problem, it worked when it went in and worked when it came
> out. Even so, I've not worked up the courage to use any of QuikFits
> other services! I'll never forgive them for putting a big bulge in the
> driver's foot well with a big hammer to get one of their crappy
> exhausts to fit a Vauxhall I had 20 years ago!!
>
> I also got a useless 20% voucher off my next A/C recharge before
> December 31st! The number of people who think car A/Cs run forever and
> don't need gassing is quite amazing. You don't need it in Scotland, is
> another excuse. While the single channel 156 A/C isn't (and never was)
> particularly good, I still like mine to work - and it still has the
> best A/C controls ever in a car.

I use my air con (climate control) in the winter more than in the summer -
the 'dry' air that comes out of the air-con unit is better for demisting!

The original charge was starting to fail after 5 years, so I got it
re-gassed at Kwik fit last year and it has already lost most of its cool
already. So I don't know if that is age, or if the Kwik fit re-gass kit was
a cheap and nasty job.

I believe halfords also do re-gassing, but I don't go there any more after
nearly vented my anger at their 'service' by inserting a renault exhaust up
the manager many years ago.

On Wed, 2 Jul 2008 17:07:31 +0100, "GT"
> wrote:

>The original charge was starting to fail after 5 years, so I got it
>re-gassed at Kwik fit last year and it has already lost most of its cool
>already. So I don't know if that is age,

That would be my first guess. One of the metal to rubber pipes on mine
failed at that age though it wasn't a slow leak. Working one day but
not the next.

>or if the Kwik fit re-gass kit was a cheap and nasty job.

I'd try taking it back to them. For the 45UKP they check for leaks and
you could tell them how short a time their charge lasted..relatively.

>I believe halfords also do re-gassing, but I don't go there any more after
>nearly vented my anger at their 'service' by inserting a renault exhaust up
>the manager many years ago.

Kinky!

--
Z
Scotland
Alfa Romeo 156 2.4JTD Veloce Leather
'Oil' be seeing you..
(Email without 'Alfa' in subject will be auto-deleted..sorry!)

"Zathras" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 2 Jul 2008 17:07:31 +0100, "GT"
> > wrote:
>
>>The original charge was starting to fail after 5 years, so I got it
>>re-gassed at Kwik fit last year and it has already lost most of its cool
>>already. So I don't know if that is age,
>
> That would be my first guess. One of the metal to rubber pipes on mine
> failed at that age though it wasn't a slow leak. Working one day but
> not the next.

I don't think its a leak - never *noticed* any fluids on the drive or
elsewhere and it does cool down eventually, just no where near as cold as it
used to be and takes 10-15 minutes to get there.

europe.news.astraweb.com > wrote:

> "Zathras" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Wed, 2 Jul 2008 17:07:31 +0100, "GT"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>The original charge was starting to fail after 5 years, so I got it
> >>re-gassed at Kwik fit last year and it has already lost most of its cool
> >>already. So I don't know if that is age,
> >
> > That would be my first guess. One of the metal to rubber pipes on mine
> > failed at that age though it wasn't a slow leak. Working one day but
> > not the next.
>
> I don't think its a leak - never *noticed* any fluids on the drive or
> elsewhere and it does cool down eventually, just no where near as cold as it
> used to be and takes 10-15 minutes to get there.

It's not a fluid, so you wouldn't notice any leaks.... you should get a
little puddle of condensate on your drive if it's working properly,
though.

--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Ducati 750SS - Hongdou GY200
Alfa 75 TSpark - Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE

"SteveH" > wrote in message
k...
> europe.news.astraweb.com > wrote:
>
>> "Zathras" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On Wed, 2 Jul 2008 17:07:31 +0100, "GT"
>> > > wrote:
>> >
>> >>The original charge was starting to fail after 5 years, so I got it
>> >>re-gassed at Kwik fit last year and it has already lost most of its
>> >>cool
>> >>already. So I don't know if that is age,
>> >
>> > That would be my first guess. One of the metal to rubber pipes on mine
>> > failed at that age though it wasn't a slow leak. Working one day but
>> > not the next.
>>
>> I don't think its a leak - never *noticed* any fluids on the drive or
>> elsewhere and it does cool down eventually, just no where near as cold as
>> it
>> used to be and takes 10-15 minutes to get there.
>
> It's not a fluid, so you wouldn't notice any leaks.... you should get a
> little puddle of condensate on your drive if it's working properly,
> though.

I thought that, but have never had that since it was new! It definitely used
to work just fine though.